Getting Started is the Hardest Part

There have been at least two previous posts where I said “Okay! Here I go back into training!” And guess what happened? Nothing.

I have to confess, I am mad at myself.

I worked so hard to get to the level of conditioning I had when I completed the Adirondack Marathon on September 26th. I was in the best shape of my life. But once the race was over, I ended up doing what I feared most – nothing.

I wasn’t really sure what to do for my recovery. I found plans online, but I didn’t stick to them. Instead, I let myself slip into a running funk. I didn’t run for a week. And then two weeks. And then a month. And now it’s been two months.

It would be inaccurate to say I haven’t run at all. I have run. But it’s been inconsistent, and minimal. Since the day after my marathon, I’ve run a grand total of 54 miles. And it’s been two months.

Now, on the bright side, taking this time off has allowed me to rest my foot. My plantar fasciitis seems to be completely gone, which is excellent. I have to keep reminding myself that that was my original plan – I had been saying that I would take a month or two off to let my foot heal up. But when it actually happened, I felt like a complete and total slacker.

The beautiful thing about life is that you can always look ahead. Every day is a chance to start fresh. I took my two month recovery time, and now it’s time to get back on the wagon and get my butt in gear.

I want to get a couple weeks of solid running in before I fly off to New Zealand in January – because then I’ll be very busy with field work for three weeks and I have no idea what my schedule is even going to look like until I get down there. But I figure three weeks of hiking in the mountains all day will keep me from losing all of my conditioning during that time. Then I’ll get back at the end of January and I’ll have all spring to train uninterrupted.

It’s going to be a very challenging round of training. Winter is here and it’s cold and dark out – forcing me to either deal with it or go on the treadmill. I don’t mind the treadmill – I’ve run 17 miles on it before! – but I’ve been spoiled with running outside all summer and now I don’t want to go back to my little basement treadmill.

I’m also pushing myself with a very full schedule and lots of demanding things going on (busy at work, starting on my Ph.D., and house hunting). But, like many others, I find that I’m most productive when I’m extremely busy. Having a full schedule forces me to prioritize and not waste time. When I’m not busy, I find that I spend a ridiculous (disgusting, really) amount of time farting around online or watching TV. And then all of a sudden it’s the end of the day and I have no idea what happened. When I’m busy, I can’t do that. And honestly, I don’t miss it either. I don’t like that lazy-just-sitting-around life. It bores me, makes me anxious, and makes me disgusted with myself. It’s also a vicious cycle. When I’m angry at myself or disappointed in myself, I get frustrated and depressed, and don’t want to get out and do something productive. And the cycle continues on and on.

So the cycle of lazy self-loathing has gone on long enough. My plantar fasciitis is gone and I’m ready to start taking care of myself again.

Here’s the plan for this week:

Monday – Rest, maybe swim and lift

Tuesday – 4 miles

Wednesday – 6 miles

Thursday – 4 miles

Friday – Rest

Saturday – 8 miles

Sunday – Rest, maybe swim and lift

I’m not starting on a set swimming and lifting schedule until after I get back from New Zealand. I use the gym at work and the semester is almost over. When we get into this part of the year the gym schedule is all over the place and then it’s closed for much of the winter break. So I’ll get into a regular routine with that stuff once the spring semester starts up. For now, I’ll just work on getting in to my running routine again.

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3 comments

I totally feel the same way. I haven’t really ran since after my marathon in October. I did one 5k and a 5 mile race but not enough running to really feel “productive.” Glad your foot is feeling better though. 🙂